Re: [Phys-L] scientific method

["Forinash III, Kyle" <kforinas@ius.edu>]

John

I totally agree that the definition often seen in textbooks doesn't pass muster. In 1999, Issue 8 a brief definition of scientific method was published in the American Journal of Physics. I wrote this criticism (I can send it to anyone who doesn't have access) based on what I learned teaching a philosophy of science course with a philosopher and it appeared in Issue 9 of 2000:

http://ajp.aapt.org/resource/1/ajpias/v68/i9    'What is Science?' in the Letters to the Editor section.

kyle forinash


On Jan 8, 2013, at 12:00 PM, <phys-l-request@phys-l.org>
 <phys-l-request@phys-l.org> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. scientific method diagram (John Denker)
>   2. Re: scientific method diagram (Krishna Chowdary)
>   3. Re: scientific method diagram (Woolf, Lawrence)
>   4. Re: scientific method diagram (jbellina)
>   5. Re: scientific method diagram (jbellina)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:00:15 -0700
> From: John Denker <jsd@av8n.com>
> To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> Subject: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
> Message-ID: <50EB6F9F.6050508@av8n.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hi --
>
> The conventional five-step "poster" version of the so-called
> "scientific method" is an abomination.  There are about ten
> things wrong with it.
>  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-poster
>
> However, there is a proverb:  "You can't beat something with 
> nothing".  That is to say, even though the poster is worse
> than nothing, it is hard to ask people to tear down that poster 
> unless you can offer some sort of replacement.
>
> Therefore I cobbled up the following:
>  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-pub
>
> It's a diagram, plus a little story about how science /sometimes/
> gets done.
>
> The diagram is arguably too complicated and arguably not
> complicated enough ... but I reckon it is an improvement
> over the five-step non-iterative grossly-wrong poster.
>
> This is a work in progress.  I am quite aware that it would
> help to make the diagram more flashy and colorful ... but
> before doing that I wanted to make it correct (or at least
> not too grossly wrong) as to substance.
>
> Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 17:15:13 -0800
> From: Krishna Chowdary <chowdark@gmail.com>
> To: Phys-L@phys-l.org
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
> Message-ID:
> 	<CAKS4h4FZW-+QPwmOZV0Xc9CvnkFAF9opnrLm1zBe5XmX5a=MPQ@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Have folks explored this resource deeply? Any thoughts? Seems like it
> might be relevant.
>
> http://undsci.berkeley.edu/index.php
>
> -Krishna
>
> On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 5:00 PM, John Denker <jsd@av8n.com> wrote:
> > Hi --
> >
> > The conventional five-step "poster" version of the so-called
> > "scientific method" is an abomination.  There are about ten
> > things wrong with it.
> >  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-poster
> >
> > However, there is a proverb:  "You can't beat something with
> > nothing".  That is to say, even though the poster is worse
> > than nothing, it is hard to ask people to tear down that poster
> > unless you can offer some sort of replacement.
> >
> > Therefore I cobbled up the following:
> >  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-pub
> >
> > It's a diagram, plus a little story about how science /sometimes/
> > gets done.
> >
> > The diagram is arguably too complicated and arguably not
> > complicated enough ... but I reckon it is an improvement
> > over the five-step non-iterative grossly-wrong poster.
> >
> > This is a work in progress.  I am quite aware that it would
> > help to make the diagram more flashy and colorful ... but
> > before doing that I wanted to make it correct (or at least
> > not too grossly wrong) as to substance.
> >
> > Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 17:21:25 -0800
> From: "Woolf, Lawrence" <Lawrence.Woolf@ga-asi.com>
> To: "Phys-L@Phys-L.org" <Phys-L@Phys-L.org>
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
> Message-ID:
> 	<6E2EFD5F6191A3438E08507BE119EC9015A0935888@ASGEXCH02.ga.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Some other resources to consider:
>
> http://undsci.berkeley.edu/teaching/teachingtools.php
>
> Larry Woolf
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of John Denker
> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2013 5:00 PM
> To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> Subject: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
>
> Therefore I cobbled up the following:
>  http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-pub
>
> It's a diagram, plus a little story about how science /sometimes/ gets done.
>
> The diagram is arguably too complicated and arguably not complicated enough ... but I reckon it is an improvement over the five-step non-iterative grossly-wrong poster.
>
> This is a work in progress.  I am quite aware that it would help to make the diagram more flashy and colorful ... but before doing that I wanted to make it correct (or at least not too grossly wrong) as to substance.
>
> Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@phys-l.org
> http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 20:27:14 -0500
> From: jbellina <inquirybellina@comcast.net>
> To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
> Message-ID: <0F8FF02A-92FF-4FD1-AC7D-5832D004611D@comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Here is an inquiry diagram developed by the Educational Development Center for K-8 classrooms.
>
> -------------- next part --------------
>
>
> It is not a linear model either.
>
> joe
>
> On Jan 7, 2013, at 8:15 PM, Krishna Chowdary wrote:
>
> > Have folks explored this resource deeply? Any thoughts? Seems like it
> > might be relevant.
> >
> > http://undsci.berkeley.edu/index.php
> >
> > -Krishna
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 5:00 PM, John Denker <jsd@av8n.com> wrote:
> > > Hi --
> > >
> > > The conventional five-step "poster" version of the so-called
> > > "scientific method" is an abomination.  There are about ten
> > > things wrong with it.
> > > http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-poster
> > >
> > > However, there is a proverb:  "You can't beat something with
> > > nothing".  That is to say, even though the poster is worse
> > > than nothing, it is hard to ask people to tear down that poster
> > > unless you can offer some sort of replacement.
> > >
> > > Therefore I cobbled up the following:
> > > http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-pub
> > >
> > > It's a diagram, plus a little story about how science /sometimes/
> > > gets done.
> > >
> > > The diagram is arguably too complicated and arguably not
> > > complicated enough ... but I reckon it is an improvement
> > > over the five-step non-iterative grossly-wrong poster.
> > >
> > > This is a work in progress.  I am quite aware that it would
> > > help to make the diagram more flashy and colorful ... but
> > > before doing that I wanted to make it correct (or at least
> > > not too grossly wrong) as to substance.
> > >
> > > Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Forum for Physics Educators
> > > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
> Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
> Emeritus Professor of Physics
> Co-Director
> Northern Indiana Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Collaborative
> 574-276-8294
> inquirybellina@comcast.net
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 22:06:04 -0500
> From: jbellina <inquirybellina@comcast.net>
> To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
> Subject: Re: [Phys-L] scientific method diagram
> Message-ID: <DCCDC73A-A1B8-49AB-B2F2-1C68D28A8662@comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> Let me try again.  I keep forgetting you can't attach.
>
> Here it is
>
> -------------- next part --------------
>
> On Jan 7, 2013, at 8:27 PM, jbellina wrote:
>
> > Here is an inquiry diagram developed by the Educational Development Center for K-8 classrooms.
> >
> >
> >
> > It is not a linear model either.
> >
> > joe
> >
> > On Jan 7, 2013, at 8:15 PM, Krishna Chowdary wrote:
> >
> > > Have folks explored this resource deeply? Any thoughts? Seems like it
> > > might be relevant.
> > >
> > > http://undsci.berkeley.edu/index.php
> > >
> > > -Krishna
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 5:00 PM, John Denker <jsd@av8n.com> wrote:
> > > > Hi --
> > > >
> > > > The conventional five-step "poster" version of the so-called
> > > > "scientific method" is an abomination.  There are about ten
> > > > things wrong with it.
> > > > http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-poster
> > > >
> > > > However, there is a proverb:  "You can't beat something with
> > > > nothing".  That is to say, even though the poster is worse
> > > > than nothing, it is hard to ask people to tear down that poster
> > > > unless you can offer some sort of replacement.
> > > >
> > > > Therefore I cobbled up the following:
> > > > http://www.av8n.com/physics/scientific-methods.htm#sec-pub
> > > >
> > > > It's a diagram, plus a little story about how science /sometimes/
> > > > gets done.
> > > >
> > > > The diagram is arguably too complicated and arguably not
> > > > complicated enough ... but I reckon it is an improvement
> > > > over the five-step non-iterative grossly-wrong poster.
> > > >
> > > > This is a work in progress.  I am quite aware that it would
> > > > help to make the diagram more flashy and colorful ... but
> > > > before doing that I wanted to make it correct (or at least
> > > > not too grossly wrong) as to substance.
> > > >
> > > > Comments?  Questions?  Suggestions?
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Forum for Physics Educators
> > > > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > > > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Forum for Physics Educators
> > > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
> >
> > Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
> > Emeritus Professor of Physics
> > Co-Director
> > Northern Indiana Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Collaborative
> > 574-276-8294
> > inquirybellina@comcast.net
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Forum for Physics Educators
> > Phys-l@phys-l.org
> > http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
> Joseph J. Bellina, Jr. Ph.D.
> Emeritus Professor of Physics
> Co-Director
> Northern Indiana Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Collaborative
> 574-276-8294
> inquirybellina@comcast.net
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Subject: Digest Footer
>
> _______________________________________________
> Forum for Physics Educators
> Phys-l@phys-l.org
> http://www.phys-l.org/mailman/listinfo/phys-l
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of Phys-l Digest, Vol 97, Issue 5
> *************************************

--------------
'Those who can make you believe absurdities and make you commit atrocities.'  
    - Voltaire

Kyle
kforinas@ius.edu